Ijru

Ijru is a constructed language used in a fictional universe for worldbuilding and speculative fiction. It is presented as the native tongue of a coastal island culture within that setting and is described in in-world grammars and fan resources. The language serves as a tool for exploring social relations, history, and daily life in the imagined world.

Phonology and orthography: Ijru features five vowel phonemes and about eighteen consonants, with a preference for consonant-vowel syllables. Stress generally falls on the penultimate syllable. The writing system uses a Latin-based alphabet with diacritics to indicate vowel quality and certain consonant distinctions.

Grammar and syntax: Ijru is primarily analytic but includes agglutinative elements in its morphology. Nouns inflect for case with suffixes, and pronouns distinguish inclusive and exclusive “we.” Verbs encode tense, aspect, and mood through suffixes and auxiliary forms. The basic word order in neutral clauses is subject–object–verb (SOV), though discourse factors can cause variations in less formal speech.

Lexicon and usage: Core vocabulary concentrates on seafaring, trade, kinship, and ritual life, reflecting the culture’s priorities. Regional varieties exist, notably Northern Ijru and Coastal Ijru, with differences in pronunciation and affix usage. Politeness and social status are conveyed through honorifics, verb mood, and certain noun formants.

In-world status and resources: Ijru appears in worldbuilding handbooks, fictional grammars, and language guides within the setting, and has inspired fan-made dictionaries and learning materials. As a fictional construct, it is not used as a real-world language outside its imagined universe.